I get excited watching him - Coyle

Manager Owen Coyle is delighted to have secured the services of a player he describes as a ‘wonderful young talent’.

Rovers yesterday completed the signing of 20-year-old Manchester City midfielder Jack Byrne on a season long-loan.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international shone on the first team stage during a successful loan spell in Holland, with SC Cambuur, last season and the new Rovers boss believes Byrne can replicate those performances in what is set to be a highly competitive Championship campaign.

“Jack Byrne is a player that I’ve known for years, since he came over from Dublin as a young kid,” said Coyle, who believes Byrne has a bright future in the game.

“When you get these talented young kids, whether you get them from Ireland or Scotland or somewhere in Europe, then of course the elite clubs are aware of them and they all want them. And Jack Byrne is one of those.

“I’ve watched his progression for years, through the Manchester City youth teams, culminating last year when he went to the Eredivisie in Holland, at 19 years of age, to Cambuur, which is not a fashionable side and who were fighting at the bottom end of the table. This kid stepped in, controlled games against teams like Ajax and Feyenoord – top, top teams – and it really just added to what I’d already seen of him.

“It proved to me that he was good enough to go and do it, and he had the tenacity and the intelligence to take the ball in tight areas, and to pass and move the ball.

“I get excited watching him. I think he’s a wonderful talent, who can only get better, and a player who Manchester City have got very high hopes for.

“As I say, when you go to a foreign country at 19 and you step in to that environment and you show you’re a top player in that league, then I think now he’s ready to step into the Championship and show his quality here.

“He’s a confident lad, he was actually involved with the Republic of Ireland just before the Euros and Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane have both spoken about him, and Patrick Vieira loved him when he worked with him at Manchester City, so everybody speaks very highly of him, which is great because it vindicates your own opinion, so I’m very excited to start working with him.”